Vacation Week

I was on vacation last week and I had big plans. I was going to follow the trip to the Brandywine Country that Knitty D and the City described in their podcast. I was going to buy yarn and shoes. Well, I bought three pairs of shoes at the Dansko Outlet but never got to any yarn stores. I did go to the Herr potato chip factory where they gave us hot chips to eat and then visited the Brandywine Museum. Here is the beautiful river in back of the museum.

Then I spent the rest of the week cleaning my house and didn't get any big knitting done. However, I have become addicted to knitting the washcloths from Mason-Dixon Knitting, so I finished a few of those.
I started a new sweater from Knitting Nature, Turbulence U-Neck Pullover, but stopped at 4 inches. I got bored with all the stockinette needed until the cabled neckline. I'm using some Filatura Lanarota Chaco. It is worsted weight but I am using size 6 needles to get gauge. The fabric is a little firmer than usual.
Mostly I just thought about knitting. I bought the new Interweave Knits, but didn't fall in love with anything. I finally received the new Rowan magazine but really didn't like anything there. I mean the pictures were so small and dark you could hardly see what the sweaters looked like. I'm tired of knitting with cotton for sweaters, but it is really too hot to start with wool yet. So for now I am knitting washcloths. At least I'll have a few extra for gifts.

The Amazing Lace Challenge #6: Unlikely Model

Here is my unlikely model, my adventuresome and ever patient husband.

Finished Socks

I finished these socks in record time. Mine was the third completed pair posted in the Six-Sock Knitalong. The pattern is supposed to look like snake scales. I was sure I wouldn't have enough yarn for the second sock so I wanted to finish them up before an ebay sale of the same color. But I had more than enough. I am very impressed with this Lana Grossa yarn. Thanks once again to my Flip Flop Swap Pal Kat for this great yarn. And thanks to the Six-Sock Knitalong for a great pattern. This is the first time I tried a picot edge and a gathered bind off for the toe.
I've put Icarus away for a while so now I need to find a new project. I'm swatching for the Diamond Blossom Scarf from Modular Knits. That should be nice and cool for now. It is still too hot to start all the heavy wool sweaters I want to make.

A New Project

This beautiful purple package came from my July Project Spectrum pal, Coleen. She actually made the stitch markers and earrings herself. What talent! Notice my name on one of them and knit and purl on others. I love it all.
I started the new SSS socks from the Six Sock Knitalong. It was posted August 1 and I couldn't wait. I just felt like making socks, maybe because it is so hot here (and Icarus is just not working.) The pattern is supposed to look like the scales of a snake. I did a picot edging for the first time. It took a few tries to pick up the stitches and knit the edging down but when I finally got it I loved it. The beautiful yarn is from Kat, my Flip Flop Swap pal. It looks great in this pattern. The socks are coming along on my 2 circular addi needles. I only wish they had sharper points.

Challenge #5: Where's Waldo?

The Icarus that thought she was a pepper. Where's Icarus?

Mistakes Or Chances To Learn?

This is the fifth time that I have started Icarus. I love the yarn, a souvenir from San Francisco. I love the pattern. I think I know what is wrong. First, I really, really have to pay attention. No TV or even exciting radio shows. Second, I have to be extremely careful if I have to tink, because dropped stitches can never be recovered. There is only a small error in this piece. It is right near the edge of the right side. I dropped a stitch and thought I had picked it up, but those yarnovers got me. No one would even notice. Lots of the things I make have small errors. But this one really bothers me. I don't want a beautiful shawl with a hole near the edge. I have been letting the whole thing sit for a few days. When I look at it I can barely see anything wrong, but it bothers me. So I am going to rip it-again. I may never have a completed shawl. But I don't want this one with an error.
On a happier note, here are two photos I took in the MOMA Sculpture Garden in NYC, one of my favorite places to go. They are in recognition of August, Project Spectrum neutrals month.